John: [Southern English accent] Right, remember, you only have ten points and you lose one for each clue you ask for. So who wants to start? You Dan - or Louise?

Dan: [Southern English accent] Well, it’s pretty obvious to me! The barman can’t have liked the look of the man. He must have been suspicious of him. So he pointed the gun at him to make him go away.

Louise: [RP accent] No, it couldn’t have been that. It’s too obvious. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a riddle!

Dan: OK, but we have to eliminate the obvious stuff first, don’t we? The man must have been thirsty or he wouldn’t have asked for some water. He might have just walked across the desert and was dying for a drink ...

Louise: Well, that’s a bit far-fetched3 - and it doesn’t explain the gun ...

Dan: But the man might have looked terrible - dirty and sunburnt! The barman could have been scared - so he took out his gun ...

Louise: Yes, but why did the man say ‘thank you’ and leave? He didn’t even drink the water, as far as we know.

Dan: Yes, you’re right. Ah, I know! The barman may have recognised him from the newspapers. Maybe he was an escaped criminal or something ...

Louise: Yes, that’s a possibility. But if he was a wanted man, he wouldn’t just walk into a bar - in public, would he?

Dan: Well, he might not have known his photo was in the papers ...

Louise: Mmm, it still doesn’t explain why the man said‘thank you’. I think we’re a bit lost. Let’s ask John for a clue, shall we?

Dan: Yeah, OK.